The Start of it All
by Libbylou1201
Summary: Submission for The Ultimate Hermione Competition II. After Hermione chooses to cry in her dorm on Halloween night, rather than the bathroom. The trio does not become friends that night. But with Harry always getting into trouble, something it bond to push them together, right?


Disclaimer: Portions of this story are direct quotes from _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ and therefore do not belong to be. The great majority, however, is mine.

* * *

 _Hermione cried in her dorm room instead of the girls' bathroom in first year._

Soon after the teachers defeated a troll in the dungeon on Halloween night, Harry Potter was informed that due to the fast-approaching Quidditch season, there would be daily practices until the first game in order to get the team ready. This should not have bothered him because he loved flying and Quidditch, despite never having played a actually game of it. However, it did bother him because it meant the homework he already struggled to convince himself to do had less time to actually get done. Honestly, he wished Ron was more of a bookworm so that he might do some of the work for the both of them. But whenever he thought that he had to remind himself that if Ron were a bookworm he wouldn't be Ron and Harry liked Ron very much just as he was. It would just be so much nicer for someone to pick up the slack Harry left behind through he lack of time and his procrastination abilities…

* * *

It was the day of the first Quidditch match and all of Hogwarts was electrified with excitement for the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game. In the stands around the pitch, Ron sat in a crowd of Gryffindors with Dean, Seamus, and Neville, as well as Hagrid, cheering on Harry at his first game. Hermione, who had not spoken or even looked at Harry or, more importantly, Ron, since he had made fun of her on Halloween, also sat in a crowd on Gryffindors. Nonetheless, she found herself feeling alone among those who were supposed to be her friends, her family.

As the game began with Lee Jordan's colorful commentary, and Professor McGonagall watching him closely, Gryffindor took the Quaffle. After much back and forth playing between the two teams, Gryffindor scored the first point. All of Gryffindor cheered wildly, including Lee. All except Hermione, that is. She was pleased for her team, but her spirits were incredibly low, leaving her with little enthusiasm to offer. Rather she gave a polite clap as she continued to sit and watch.

"Slytherin in possession. Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the—wait a moment—was that the Snitch?" Lee Jordan commentated.

The crowd, and the players, went wild at the sight of the glint of gold by Chaser Pucey's ear. Even Hermione got a bit excited. It appeared Harry has seen it as well as he dove down from his spot above the action after the small flash of gold. All too suddenly though, Marcus Flint, of the Slytherin team, fouled by blocking Harry's path and sending him spinning off course. Both seekers lost sight of the snitch in the confusion of the moment.

Having difficulty staying neutral on the topic, Lee Jordan finally manages a comment that Professor McGonagall deems okay, stating, "Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Back in the stands, Hermione noticed something before anyone around her seems to. While virtually everyone else has gone back to watching the chasers and the beaters, she had kept her eye on Harry. From her perspective, it almost looked like he had lost control of the broom. But she has seen him fly in class before. She knew he was good. Clearly something had to be up. Despite all of the feelings she held against Harry, and Ron, she did not want to see him injured. She quickly got up from her spot and worked her way over to a better view point, trying to find any reason her Harry to be having difficulty with his broom.

"Excuse me, can I borrow those?" Hermione asked an older Gryffindor student for their binoculars.

"Uh, sure."

Upon receiving them, she scanned the crowds. While Hermione didn't know a particularly large amount of magic, she was bright enough to deduce that someone must have been messing with Harry's broom. As she searched, Harry nearly fell from the broom, only hanging on by a hand. That was when she saw Professor Snape, over in the teacher's section, mouthing something unblinkingly. He was watching Harry intensely, never ceasing to speak whatever it was he was saying. Instantly, she tossed the student their binoculars and made a break for Snape. Arriving at the back of the teachers stand, she ran into someone else.

"Oof! Hey, what are you doing here?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Saving your friend. What are you doing?"

"Saving my friend!" The two nodded and proceeded to crawl over to Snape's seat, too preoccupied to apologize when their clumsiness accidentally knocked over Professor Quirrell. "So, uh, what's the plan?" Ron whispered. He had clearly come over with the intentions of winging it, but was now drawing a lose.

"Leave it to me." Hermione responded as she lit Snape's robes on fire. The two scurried away before the professor could find them and then walked quickly back to more Gryffindor filled area, blending themselves in before checking the skies for Harry's safety. However, they couldn't tell if he was in control. While he was back sitting on his broom, he was plummeting toward the ground. Hitting the earth and looking like he might be sick, Harry coughed out the snitch. They had done it! And Gryffindor had won! Hermione turned and hugged Ron, momentarily forgetting the hurt he had caused her and wanted to celebrate.

"Look Hermione, I'm really sorry about what I said the other week. I can be a bit of a prick sometimes. And I'm sorry that it made you cry. I would have said something that night, but you went to your dorm and boys can't go up the girls stairs. But honestly, you are brilliant!" Hermione blushed. "So umm, would you accept my apology? And uh Harry and I are heading over to Hagrid's for tea and I'm sure they would both agree that you are more than welcome to join, you did just save Harry's life after all."

"I'd love nothing more." Maybe she wasn't so alone in her Gryffindor family. Maybe she had just found everything she needed. But then again, who knew what the future held in store for the ragtag trio of first years?


End file.
